Palladium Books® Weekly Update – May 12, 2016

By Wayne Smith

Kevin was hit by a car on Sunday. He’s ok, mostly, but his right arm was broken pretty badly. He had surgery yesterday, and things went well, so hopefully he’ll be back to work soon. But we’ll be without him for a while, and even when he’s back, it will take a while for his right arm (which is kind of important for a right-handed artist and writer) to heal. We’ll just have to work around it as best we can.

In the meantime, you’re stuck with me, so I’ll just get on with it.

The Rifts® Savage Sale is back for one final week

To celebrate the success of the kickstarter, and because you folks liked it so much (and because Kevin isn’t around to stop me), we’ve decided to bring back the Rifts Savage Sale for one more week or so – now till midnight on Sunday, May 22. Get some great books at a significant discount before time runs out.

Whether you are looking to fill in holes in your collection or thinking about trying Rifts®, this offering gives you the core books to dive right in. Many are titles you are likely to want for campaigns involving Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ and the Minion War™, like Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™, The Vanguard™ sourcebook, Rifts® Book of Magic, Coalition War Campaign™, Rifts® Sourcebook One, and Siege on Tolkeen™ 6: Final Siege™, among others. Rifts® Coalition States: Heroes of Humanity™ is going to change the way you look at Rifts® campaigns.

Discovering Rifts® for the first time? Any of these titles will help you get started fast. Enjoy and game on!

Siege on Tolkeen™ 6: Final Siege™ – $18.71 sale price. 40+ NPC villains, more monsters and magic, Tolkeen’s secret weapons, warlords, magic items, a city of dragons and the city of Tolkeen (mapped), and adventure ideas – ALL suitable in the aftermath of the Final Siege and in the Minion War! 224 pages, Cat. No. 844.

Rifts® Sourcebook One – softcover – $15.71 sale price. More on the Coalition States, robot creation rules, the introduction of Archie Three and The Republicans (NEMA troops from the past!), robots, monsters, adventures, adventure ideas, and more. Archie and The Republicans play a big role in Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ and Rifts® Haunted Tech™, coming soon. 160 pages, Cat. No. 801.

The Vanguard™ sourcebook – softcover – $7.46 sale price. The Coalition States has outlawed magic. Its practitioners of magic are hunted fugitives. Yet, long ago, the CS once had mages in its army. The ancestors of those wizards remain loyal to the Coalition and work as a secret organization to protect the nation from other mages. Eight Vanguard O.C.C.s., their history, and more. The Vanguard play a big role in The Disavowed™, coming soon. 48 pages, Cat. No. 856.

Rifts® Savage Worlds Kickstarter passes $300k! – One week left to get in on the action

As I write this, Pinnacle Entertainment Group’s Rifts® for Savage Worlds Kickstarter is almost 4000% funded and still going strong! It offers books in print and PDF, a Game Master screen, maps, dice, bennies, a messenger bag, and a T-shirt, among other items. Reward levels range from the $15 Digital Player to the $240 Everything GM.

Savage Worlds players can take advantage of the current Rifts® Savage Sale to learn more about Rifts Earth right now, and can also grab some PDF Rifts® books from DriveThruRPG.com. Blend Palladium’s Rifts® source material with Savage Worlds®, and vice versa for Palladium’s Rifts® gamers. You may want these full color, well written Rifts® Savage Worlds titles just to read and own, but there are plenty of cool ideas, random tables and adventures you can easily incorporate in your current Rifts® games.

Several stretch goals have already been unlocked, including adventures, pre-generated archetype characters, D-Bee races to play, additional gear and weaponry, and an expanded Player’s Guide!

A fun Savage Rifts® Podcast with Sean Patrick Fannon, lead writer:

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™

We are looking into some new possibilities and gearing up for more about Robotech® RPG Tactics™, starting with material that will be made available on DriveThruRPG.com. Meanwhile, we are supporting all kinds of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ events at StrategiCon.

StrategiCon GAMEX, Memorial Day weekend, is going to be big fun for fans of Robotech® and Robotech® RPG Tactics™, with build and paint workshops, demos all weekend, and special events. Palladium is happy to support this big RRT event. See the convention description, below, for more details or go to the StrategiCon website:

Rifts® Ultimate Edition Rule Book and many World Book PDFs available on DriveThruRPG.com

Rifts® Ultimate Edition is now available! It joins more than 40 other Rifts® titles at DriveThruRPG.com! Also coming soon, Rifts® G.M. Guide and Rifts® Book of Magic and probably a sneak preview of Rifts® Coalition States: Heroes of Humanity™. With more Rifts® and other Palladium game lines coming to PDF in the weeks and months ahead.

In addition to the titles listed above, The Minion War™ series of books, the Rifts® Coalition Wars®/Tolkeen series, Chaos Earth® Resurrection, all of the Dead Reign® (Zombie Apocalypse) titles, Splicers® RPG and most issues of The Rifter® are available NOW! So are first edition rules of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG and sourcebooks, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and sourcebooks, The Mechanoids®, and much more, available on DriveThruRPG.com.

Available right now:

Rifts® World Books 1-27 and various other Rifts® titles.

Rifts® Coalition Wars®: Siege on Tolkeen series – all six titles including the Cyber-Knights™ Sourcebook.

A wide range of art and collectibles have been selling over the last few weeks. Nice. I hope you enjoy your items, be they out of print books, signed titles, rare hardcovers, original artwork, toys or other goodies. Original art are one-of-a-kind items, so when they are gone (like the TMNT sketches and Rifts® illustrations), they are gone. Many other offerings are signed, limited editions or are items that have been sold out for some time.

I’ll continue to pull things out of my personal collection and Palladium archives. A bunch of toys have been added to my online store with more to come.

More collectibles, artwork and toys are added almost every week. Palladium collectibles, hardcovers, out-of-print titles, original artwork, and toys and items from my personal collection are on my ebay store. We add items on a regular basis and offer sales, so check it out from time to time. Includes one-of-a-kind original artwork, prints, Rifts® and Robotech® artwork by Kevin Long, me and others. There is also a range of limited editions, rare book titles and limited edition hardcovers, toys and more available with frequent new items added. Items include original art, out-of-print titles, redlined proofreader photocopies signed by me and the staff, signed manuscripts with editors’ corrections, some original art, hardcover books (including Rifts® Lemuria, Northern Gun™ One, Northern Gun™ Two, Megaverse® in Flames™, Beyond the Supernatural™ Gold, Rifts® Machinations of Doom™ Gold and Rifts® Ultimate Gold), hundreds of toys and action figures, all from my personal archives and collection. Take a look every weekend or two for new items added.

Convention Dates of Note

UPDATE: Anime North – Toronto, Canada – May 27-29, 2016

37,000+ fans of anime, cosplay, and gaming descend upon Toronto this Memorial Day Weekend, and the Palladium crew will be among them.

Please join us in the gaming hall to enjoy Robotech® RPG Tactics™ games and demos, a few role-playing game events (sign up at the Palladium booth), and chat with various Palladium creators. We are bringing a good selection of Rifts®, Robotech®, Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and many, many other game titles as well as displaying a wide range of artwork. Meet me (Kevin Siembieda), Greg Diaczyk (writer), Wayne Smith (editor), Charles Walton II (artist), Braden Campbell (writer), Apollo Okamura (artist) and maybe a few other Palladium creators. Also look for panel talks with me, Charles Walton and others. Check the online schedule. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!

Strategicon: GAMEX – Memorial Day Weekend – May 27-30 – Los Angeles

All kinds of Robotech® events are taking place all weekend long. Join the fun!

Showdown at Granite City – A large scale Robotech RPG Tactics™ game where you can enter at any time! – by RRT GM Conductor, Allan Sylvia III – open to the public, no sign-up necessary, join the fun anytime by just showing up! Any number of players.

RRT Build and Paint Workshops, by Pat Saul – Building and painting tips with paint, glue and RRT game pieces provided.

Gen Con Indy – Indianapolis, Indiana – August 4-7, 2016

Gen Con is big, fun and awesome. If you are attending, please stop by the Palladium Books booth. We will be there with new and old RPG titles, Robotech® RPG Tactics™, and original art and collectibles for sale. Palladium creators are happy to chat with fans, sign your books, and have a blast.

GrandCon – Grand Rapids, Michigan – September 16, 17 & 18, 2016

Looking for a nice medium-sized convention of around 2,000 gamers? Then consider GrandCon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s only about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Westland, and even closer for folks living in Livonia, Plymouth, Novi, and cities farther west. Ideal for any Michiganders and gamers living in Illinois, Indiana and maybe even Wisconsin and eastern Iowa.

I (Kevin Siembieda) am a guest along with Sean Patrick Fannon, co-author of Savage Rifts® for the Savage Worlds game system, and many other guests. Sean and I will be doing panels about Savage Rifts® and role-playing game design, world building and running gaming events (I’ll probably run Lord DeSilca), and Palladium Books will have a few tables in the dealers’ room manned by Wayne Smith and Charles Walton II (with artwork for sale). All of us will be present to chat with gamers and sign books. I am thrilled to have a rapidly growing game convention like GrandCon in western Michigan, and they have even bigger plans for 2017. Michiganders, help support this convention. We need and deserve a large gaming convention in our state.

Closing Thoughts

I spoke to Kevin just before sending this, and he sounds great. We’re all relieved. There was the possibility of nerve damage from the surgery, but the procedure went about as well as it possibly could, so hopefully he’s in the clear on that. He might even be able to come back to work next week, though it will probably be a few weeks before he can really use a keyboard again. We’re just glad it wasn’t much worse, which it easily could have been. Puts things in perspective, y’know?

Take care of yourselves out there.

– Wayne Smith, Editor

NEW! Rifts® Secrets of the Coalition States™ – Heroes of Humanity™ – May

In final production! Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ is the next chapter in the epic war for the soul of humanity.

A call to arms! The Minion War has spilled onto Rifts Earth. At the epicenter of the invasion is North America. If either of the two rival demonic forces succeeds in conquering the continent, the rest of the world shall follow and Earth will become an annex of Hell. The demon hordes believe no one can stop them. The Coalition States has something to say about that.

For the first time in history, the Coalition States, Northern Gun, the Manistique Imperium, Lazlo, New Lazlo, Free Quebec, the Cyber-Knights, Lemurians, True Atlanteans, D-Bees, mages, mercs and many, many others stand together against a common enemy. Meanwhile, the Splugorth of Atlantis, Archie Three, the Republicans and the Vanguard engage in their own shadow war against the invading demon hordes, and each other.

Heroes of Humanity™ lets unprecedented types of characters gather in mixed groups that would otherwise be ideologically opposed. Together they fight side-by-side for the greater good.

NEW! Rifts® Haunted Tech™ – Summer

The Republicans decide to make their move while Archie Three is waging his own shadow war against the demonic invaders. The result unleashes a menace Archie has kept contained and locked away for 300 years. And he is not happy about it.

Haunted Technology.

New weapons and gear.

More secrets and information about the Republicans.

More insane adventure opportunities, strangeness and fun.

The new rules, powers and abilities for Haunted Tech will blow your mind.

Haunted Tech gives new meaning to “ghost in the machine.” But are they a godsend or a Pandora’s Box of new dangers?

The Republicans reveal themselves and take action! Yes, that means Chaos Earth® NEMA O.C.C.s, robots and technology in Rifts® Earth.

Rifts® Secrets of the Coalition States: The Disavowed™ – Summer

“Desperate times require desperate measures. War has nothing to do with morality or justice. It’s all about winning or dying. We cannot bind our hands with high ideals, even our own, or worry about the laws of renegade nations or the rights of alien people. We must fight fire with fire. And you are the match.” – Colonel Lyboc addressing a Disavowed team

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?

Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?

Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?

What role does the Vanguard play in this group?

How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?

What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.

NEW! The Rifter® #74 – Ships Spring

Half to two-thirds of The Rifter® #74 is “official” source material for Rifts®, Splicers® and more, plus news and coming attractions.

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory for players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and find new avenues of adventure. It provides useful, ready-to-go source material you can just drop into your ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. And the many new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, villains, monsters, adventures and ideas for one setting can be easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least 2-3 other Palladium game lines. And don’t forget, most of the material can be easily adapted for use in ANY Palladium game setting.

The Rifter® #74 – Spring, 2016:

Rifts®: The Town of Moorcroft, Wyoming – “official” source material by Julius Rosenstein.

NEW! The Rifter® #73 – Available now!

For the first time ever, the entire issue of The Rifter® #73 is “official” source material for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Splicers® and Dead Reign®, plus news, coming attractions and more. It is a great way to kickoff Palladium’s 35 Year Anniversary.

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory for players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and find new avenues of adventure. It provides useful, ready-to-go source material you can just drop into your ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. And the many new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, villains, monsters, adventures and ideas for one setting can be easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least 2-3 other Palladium game lines. And don’t forget, most of the material can be easily adapted for use in ANY Palladium game setting.

Rifter® #73 Highlights:

Rifts® – Nexus Born, by Julius Rosenstein – “official” source material. Why is it that some children born at a ley line nexus are gifted? Find out, and find out exactly what these gifts are and how they can impact player characters and NPCs. New concepts, NPCs and adventure source material including Hidden Nexus Points. Additional text and ideas by Kevin Siembieda.

Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Children of the Forest, by Kevin Siembieda – “official” source material. More insight about the Wolfen and Faerie Folk of the Great Northern Wilderness, adventure setting, the Risinor Dragon Stallion war steed, five new Rune Weapons, a madman, a new villain, and adventure ideas that let you use all of this data and new toys in an adventure set in the Palladium Fantasy world. Easily adaptable for Rifts®, Phase World, Heroes Unlimited, etc.

Splicers® – I am Legion, Part Two, by Charles Walton II, Chris Kluge and Lance Colley – adventure plus “official” source material. The adventure continues as your heroes must deal with the plight of contending with the new Machine personality known as Legion. In this adventure, the player group is given instructions from the Warlord, himself, to learn more about this enemy, and if possible, use a special weapon to bring it down. But nothing ever works that easy. New War Mounts, O.C.C. upgrades, N.P.C.s, and more, including the very first time a Splicer Warlord is ever statted out.

Dead Reign® – Detroit by Thomas Morrison – “official” source material. The title says it all. The city of Detroit in the Zombie Apocalypse. An adventure setting.

Palladium Fantasy RPG® – the Triumvirate Dragon by Glen Evans and Kevin Siembieda – “official” source material. For the first time, the iconic, three-headed dragon that appeared on the original cover of the Palladium Fantasy RPG® is described and statted out.

NEW! Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™ – Summer

True Atlanteans are descendants from Earth’s past. The survivors of the sinking of Atlantis (really a dimensional mishap) and travelers of the Megaverse, wielders of Tattoo Magic and other lost mystic arts. Most people regard them as heroes, but are they? The Sunaj Assassins are mythic villains feared by all, yet they too are True Atlanteans who serve dark forces.

For the first time, much of the story behind True Atlanteans and their secrets are revealed.

True Atlanteans revisited.

Optional Atlantean character creation tables including clan heritage and other factors.

Secrets of the stone pyramids, different types/purposes and powers.

Many new magic tattoos, magic spells, weapons and armor.

Atlantean hideouts and secret communities across the Megaverse.

The Sunaj Assassins, their secrets, history and plans for the future.

Atlantean Monster Hunter O.C.C., Atlantean Defender O.C.C. and much more. And this is just the tip of what this book contains.

BACK IN PRINT: Island at the Edge of the World™

A Palladium Fantasy RPG® Sourcebook – available now

Island at the Edge of the World™ is back in print as a short run, special printing. This is the original Palladium RPG® sourcebook VI that utilizes First Edition rules. That said, it is very easy to adapt for use with Second Edition rules.

Island at the Edge of the World™ reveals some of the little known history of the Palladium World, the Time of a Thousand Magicks, the Changeling Inquisition, and dark secrets that could threaten the world. Learn about forgotten Crystal Magic (as powerful as Rune Weapons), the Church of Scar, the legendary Circle of Absolute Elemental Power and frightening prophecies about the end of the world.

The hidden Crystal Forest and Crystal Palace.

The Psychic Science of Magic and Crystals.

New magic weapons and items.

The Town of a Dozen Fracts, an adventure setting.

The Silent Forest adventure.

Quest for the Tombs adventure.

The Old Kingdom Mountains and adventures.

The Valley at the Top of the World, an adventure setting.

The Island at the End of the World, an adventure setting.

Ancient ruins and additional places, people and secrets of note.

Written by Thomas Bartold. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.

First Edition rules. Requires some modification to use with Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Second Edition.

Garden of the Gods™ – a Palladium Fantasy RPG® Sourcebook – Summer

This has been a secret project of Kevin Siembieda’s that he has been plotting and writing in what little spare time he has. The Garden of the Gods is said to be a holy place watched over and even frequented by the avatars of the gods. According to legend, the god may visit heroes and followers in dreams or in person by an avatar of the god, to be given guidance, inspiration, heroic quests, and gifts of knowledge and magic. More details about this title will follow.

The Garden of the Gods described in detail.

Godly insight and visitations.

Gifts of magic and knowledge.

Sanctuary and more.

The Black Pit, a place of evil and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden or a trick of the Old Ones?

Hell Followed™ – A Dead Reign® Zombie Apocalypse Sourcebook

At 160 pages, Hell Followed™ is the largest Dead Reign® sourcebook yet. Spring or Summer release. Can you survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Find out by playing Dead Reign®. The results may surprise you.

New O.C.C.s and skills.

New zombies and other menaces.

More world information, new dangers and new adventurers.

Written by Taylor White.

160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 236. Summer release.

Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: First Responders – Summer

The Great Cataclysm has devastated civilization, but humanity fights for survival. The struggles of civilian law enforcement, fire and rescue, and everyday men and women are some of the most epic tales to be told in a world gone to hell. They fight monsters, aliens, the paranormal, the elements, and each other, all with the hope of reclaiming their lives from the Chaos.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Wave Two is coming ...

– but you can get started with the core box set and Wave One expansions right now

If you love Robotech®, you want to take a look at this game. Beautifully detailed game pieces of your favorite Robotech® mecha, and fast playing rules that capture the Robotech® experience in a new, exciting way. And this is just the beginning. We have so much more planned for the years ahead.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ "Starter Box" (Main Box Game) – Cat. No. 55100 – $99.95 retail price. This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmishes or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experience. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding range of top-notch game pieces. Get yours now, so you can build your armies and have them ready when Wave Two is released.

The First Six Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Expansion Packs are available to retail along with the main box game. Here are the SKUs and retail prices:

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Rulebook – Cat. No. 55105 – $20.00 retail. Note: This is the same rulebook that is included in the main game box, and is offered separately for those who want an extra copy, or want to check out the rules before buying the whole game.

Palladium PDF Books – download from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made more than 100 PDF products available for digital download from DriveThruRPG.com, as well as Fantasy Paper Miniatures, Game Master resources and other good things with more to come. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

Rifts® World Books and Sourcebooks, including Rifts® Sovietski, Rifts® Antarctica, Rifts® New Navy, and others.

And some surprises ...

Upcoming Palladium Books® Convention Events

Palladium Books does not have to be an exhibitor at a convention or be counted among the guests to support that convention. We are happy to support events running Palladium games with prizes for best players, other swag, and donations to charity auctions. If you are a Game Master running Palladium gaming events, or a convention hosting them, PLEASE contact Palladium Books via the Help Desk or the Megaversal Ambassadors, or call the Palladium offices to get our support. Just give us plenty of advance notice so we can confirm the conventions and the Palladium gaming events, determine the swag and ship it out. Plus we are glad to promote conventions and gaming events right here in the Weekly Updates. Below are just some of the conventions hosting Palladium game events this year.

Anime North – May 26-29, 2016 – Toronto, CanadaPalladium Books® in exhibitor area– Kevin Siembieda and Chuck Walton GuestsConvention Name: Anime North.Dates: May 26-29, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend).Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Website: http://www.animenorth.com/Supporting: Anime, Cosplay, Role-Playing Games and Comic Books. Palladium Books® is in attendance with a booth selling Robotech® RPG Tactics™ main box game, RRT expansion packs, exclusive figures, and role-playing game products, as well as running demos, having display pieces and being available to chat.

Kevin Siembieda and Charles Walton II are guests at the 2016 Anime North. A few other Canadian Palladium creators may also be in attendance at the Palladium booth in the gaming hall. Anime North is one of the largest and longest running anime conventions in North America, with 26,000+ in attendance in 2016. The range of special guests, voice talent and cosplay is amazing. If you are attending Anime North, please drop by the booth to say hello or sit in on any of Kevin’s panel talks about game design, licensing and Hollywood, writing, world building and others. We love this event and highly recommend it. Tickets sell out fast, so order yours and book a hotel room immediately.

2016 Gen Con Indy – August 4-7 – Indianapolis, Indiana
Gen Con is the biggest gaming convention in the country. Palladium Books will be there as usual with products to sell and a gaggle of creators to sign books and chat. And thanks to volunteer Game Masters working through the Palladium Megaversal Ambassador program there should be 40+ Palladium gaming events.Convention Name: Gen Con Indy.Dates: August 4-7, 2016.Location: Indianapolis, Indiana.Website: http://www.gencon.com/Supporting: ALL types of gaming; role-playing games, board games, miniature games/wargames, card games, videogames and more, plus cosplay and guests by the dozens. We love this event and highly recommend it. Tickets sell out fast, so order yours and book a hotel room immediately.
Palladium Books will be in attendance in the Exhibit Hall, and there are dozens of Palladium gaming events. Guests at the booth daily include Kevin Siembieda (game designer, author, founder), Wayne Smith (editor), Charles Walton II (artist), Brandon Aten (author) and others.